1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition for improving a skin condition or treating a periodontal disease, which comprises as an active ingredient a basic fibroblast growth factor-derived peptide.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fibroblast growth factor plays a role as a mitogenic factor in fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Bovine brain or pituitary gland-derived fibroblast growth factor (FGF) was first suggested by Gospodarowicz in the year of 1974 (Nature 249: 123-127 (1974)). Subsequently, it was reported that the mitogenic factor isolated from the brain is different from that isolated from the pituitary gland. Although these two factors show similar biological activities, they are different from each other in terms of amino acid sequences and isoelectric points, named as acidic FGF and basic FGF, respectively. Both of acidic FGF (aFGF) and basic FGF (bFGF) are classified into heparin binding growth factors affecting to proliferation potential of mesoderm- and neuroectoderm-originated cells such as endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, adrenal cortex cells, prostatic and retinal epithelium, neuroglial cells, astrocytes, chondrocytes, stem cells and osteoblasts (Burgess and Maciag, Ann. Rev. Biochem. 58:584 (1989)).
FGF induces mitogenic reactions to stimulate cell proliferation and stimulates almost all cell types to trigger responses in a non-mitogenic manner as well. These activities of FGF are responsible for promoting cell migration to a wound site (chemotaxis), triggering the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), controlling nerve regeneration (neurotrophic), expression of certain proteins in cells, the formation of extracellular matrix and stimulation or inhibition of the viability of cells involved in wound healing (Burgess, W. H., and Maciag, T. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 58:584-588 (1989)). Together with promoting cell proliferation, these responses described above provide grounds and principles underlying actions of fibroblast growth factor on wound healing and treatment of thrombosis and arteriosclerosis. Therefore, FGF has been suggested to promote wound healing (Davidson, J. M., et al. J. Cell Bio. 100:1219-1227 (1985)), to reduce damages of myocardium associated with surgical operations or heart diseases (U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,347), and to increase survival of neurons and the extension of axons (Walicke, P., et al. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 83:3012-3016 (1986)).
bFGF having a molecular weight of about 18 kDa is a basic protein (pI 9.58) secreted mainly in pituitary glands and has been reported to enhance growth of various mesoderm-derived cells. Also, it has been proposed that bFGF enhancing growth of vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells shows excellent efficacies in wound healing, angiogenesis, skin elasticity by increasing biosynthesis of collagen and elastin and growth of normal cells (Pilcher B K., et al. J. Biol. Chem. 272(29):18147-18154 (1997)). In addition, bFGF has been reported to activate circulation and hair root cells in scalp (Kristen L. Mueller. et al. J. Neurosci. 22(2):9368-9377 (2002)).
However, polypeptide growth factors present in blood and tissues have in vivo half life as short as several minutes. In particular, since bFGF has four cysteine residues not involved in the formation of disulfide bonds, it shows very poor stability.
In addition, since bFGF is biologically unstable and physiochemically heterogeneous, it is likely to show reduced treatment efficacies. Its skin permeation is far poor.
Accordingly, there remain needs to improve stability and skin permeation of bFGF so as to increase applicability of bFGF to a variety of formulations.